The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-03-30


II Mr.. Sherman's candidacy for the
Republican Presidential nomination
shall result in nothing else, he is to be
congratulated that the time has come
when he can say to the South, "Let by
cones be by-gones" Indeed, ne said at
Birmingham, if he be correctly reported,
that she would as soon trust his life and
honor to true Confederates as to brave
Union soldiers Until recently such a
sentiment, if it existed, would not have
been uttered by the mouth of John
Sherman, VINO has been one Of the most
persistent and effective apostles of the
"bloody shirt" lie was present and
offciated at the political birth of Eliza
Pinkston. and both before and since, has
been incorporating in his hostility to
Southern men and measures. But he
COOS now as gently as sucking dove, as
he asks the people of Tennessee, "who
from the very earliest settlement have
been distinguished for their courage
and independence, that they "wll give
stranger among them fair hearing
for honest opinions"
Starting with the erroneous assump
ton that the opposition in the South to
the Republican party exists because Ii
was the party of Lincoln, he explained
to his hearers that he was a disciple OF
that school of politics of which Henry
Clay and John Bell were the leading
apostles, when he first entered political
life; that he was a member of the Wing
National Convention in 184S and 1852
and supported Taylor and Scott, both
Southern men, but was led into the
Republican party by sense of wrong
and injustice done by the repeal of tht
Missouri compromise, which he ''stil
regards as nothing less than crime"
Mr.. Sherman was very careful to i'm
press upon mis- Tennessee hearers tina
he was in political sympathy with th'
people Of Tennessee before the war, an(
to express his regrets that they did no
acquiesce in the election of Mr.. Lincoln
but ne was very careful not to allude t.
the Reconstruction record of the Repuh
lican party, for which he is largely re
sponsible.
Bat if everything is to be forgottel
and forgiven, and a fresh start is to b
taken, dating with Mr.. Sher;nan's speecl
at Nashville, still his appeal to Tenne
seeans would prove Intellectual, becaus
he asks them to join with the Republi
can party in perpetuating its tariff poll
cy which annually robs the people Q
the United States of hundreds of mi
lions of dollars, a considerable portion
of which these same Tennesseeans hav
to pay. His argument in favor of tn
robber tariff is seductive one, but
will scarcely influence any, except tn
few with capital invested in the PR
tected industries, who are willing, b
law, to wiring contributions from tn
many for their own enrichment, an
the ignorant and selfish persons who b.
lieve ttat they get substantial benet
from the tariff in the shape of increase
wages. The St. Louis Repub Hcaa, in a
editorial which we print in this issa'
; ably answers the suggestions Of NJ
Sherman concerning the benefits of
protective tariff.
The Democratic party deserves crit
cism for its failure to act on importar
measures pending before Congress, an
no one can complain that Mr.. Sherma
; INDUCED in it. The party lacks disc
pline and leadership, and this its mo
devoted members are compelled to col
fess. Mr.. Sherman says: "Their divi
ions last winter with majority Of sixt
members in the House of Represent
tives were ludicrous in the extreme"
On the whole, Mr.. Sherman's speee
was strong presentation of the Repu
lican party's claims for support; bI
the tone and temper of it seem bett
suited to an after the nomination speec
But before he makes that sort of
speech the magnetic statesman fro
Maine will be heard from.